🍙 Umeboshi onigiri
Umeboshi onigiri is a plain rice ball with a pickled Japanese plum (umeboshi) hidden in the centre and a wrap of nori. The salty, intensely sour plum contrasts with the mild, compact rice and makes the whole ball taste fresh. It is one of the oldest and simplest fillings and is completely plant-based.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g Japanese short-grain rice
- 4 umeboshi (pickled plums), pitted
- 2 sheets nori, cut into strips
- Salt for the hands
- 400 ml water
Method
- Cook the rice and leave it covered for 10 minutes.
- Remove the stones from the plums and tear the flesh into pieces.
- With wet, salted hands shape about 70 g of rice around one plum.
- Press into a triangle or ball and wrap with nori.
How to make it lighter
- The plum adds strong flavour for very few calories, so no oil or sauce is needed.
- Make two smaller balls instead of one large one to stretch a portion.
- Add a protein side such as boiled chickpeas to make it a fuller meal.
History
Pickled ume plums have been made in Japan for centuries, and their salt and acidity made them a traditional filling that helped rice balls keep on long journeys. Umeboshi onigiri remain a classic in home lunch boxes and convenience stores today.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →